VI. The Attack

                                    

                                          
Regulus was in the sitting room of Number 12 Grimmauld Place; Sirius had just been given a new toy broom for his 7th birthday and he let Regulus have a go on it. 
                          
Regulus zoomed around the small space, weaving through the furniture and coming close to hitting one of their mother's cabinets. When he pulled a sharp turn to dodge the cabinet, Sirius started clapping and stood up on the coffee table, jumping up and down. 
                          
"GOOD JOB, REGGIE!" He shouted, grinning from ear to ear. 
                          
Regulus laughed and continued to zip this way and that, his older brother cheering him on the whole time. 
                          
Suddenly, however, a crash emanated from the library that was the floor above where the boys stood. Sirius looked up to where the sound had come from, and that's when he heard the stomping footsteps coming down the stairs. 
                          
Sirius immediately jumped to the floor and rushed over to where Regulus had stopped the broom, hovering a few inches off the ground with a confused expression. 
                          
"Come here, Reggie!" Sirius said, helping his little brother off of the broom and stowing it off in a corner of the room. 
                          
The footsteps were echoing through the hallway now, coming closer and closer to the boys. Regulus looked at his brother with a frightened expression, and Sirius opened his mouth to comfort him, but was promptly cut off. 
                          
The door to the sitting room was forced open with the flick of a wand, and it slammed into the wall behind it - hard. Regulus let out a scream, and Sirius quickly turned around to face the door frame. 
                          
Orion Black stared at his sons with a hatred that was unlike any they had ever seen. Sirius reached back and grappled for his little brother's hand, trying to comfort him in the best way he could; Regulus's hand was trembling, and Sirius gave it a small squeeze. 
                          
"Which one of you took it?" Orion snarled, looking between his two sons. 
                          
"Took what?" Sirius asked, trying to keep his high voice as steady as possible. 
                          
"YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! THE CUP, THE BLOODY CUP!" Orion Black was red with fury, and he raised his wand at his sons. 
                          
Regulus was cowering behind Sirius, squeezing a handful of fabric from Sirius's shirt with the hand that wasn't holding Sirius's. Regulus didn't know what their father was talking about! What cup?! 
                          
"We didn't take it!" Sirius shouted, and he straightened his spine and shifted his stance to better cover Regulus. 
                          
"YOU WANT TO LIE TO ME, BOY?" 
                          
Suddenly, the scene changed. Regulus was no longer cowering behind seven-year-old Sirius; he was standing in the door frame of the library in Number 12. Sirius was writhing in pain on the floor, begging Orion to stop. 
                          
"STOP IT!" Regulus shrieked, running into the library towards his brother. 
                          
Only, Orion didn't stop. 
                          
Regulus put his left hand on his brother's chest and his right on his shoulder. "Siri, I'm sorry," Regulus choked, the words seeming to get caught in his throat as tears flooded his eyes. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry..."
                          
Sirius opened his eyes and looked at Regulus; his screams seemed to die out, but Regulus could still feel his muscles twitching beneath his skin. Regulus watched as Sirius's icy grey eyes seemed to dim; it was as though they had lost all of their color. 
                          
"This is your fault," Orion Black said, suddenly hovering over Regulus from behind. "YOUR FAULT!" 
                          
"NO!" Regulus sat bolt upright in bed. His heart was slamming so hard against his ribcage that he was sure they would break.